Internal-combustion engine.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

F. J. CROUCH & C. P. CHURCH. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 12. 1907.

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l9 [5 z j 3/ g j; .54 Zz .z/ 22 iiE-i WITNESSES a r 7 I 1" A TTOANE VS No. 893,058. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908. F. J. CROUCH & C. P. CHURCH. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12. 1907.

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I Z4, 52 J 27% H i A 3 17 25 L/l J A TTOR/Vli Y5 UNITED STATES FRANK J. CROUCH AND CHARLES P. CHURCH, OF SEATTLE. WASHINGTON.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION EN GIN E.

To all whom it may concern:

United States, residing 'at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Internal- Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines of that type in which the head of the explosion cham er is adjustable for the purpose of varying the cubic content of the cylinder.

The principal object of the invention isto provide anadjustable head that is recessed at one side at a oint opposite the controlling valve of the cy inder, so that the head may be adjustable toward and from the piston without interfering with the operation of the valve while the inlet and exhaust ort will remain at the end of the explosion c amber.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this class in which a single valve arranged adjacent the end of the explosion chamber is employed for controlling both the inlet of the explosive charge and the exhaust of the roducts of combustion, the adjustable cy inder head bein recessed at a point opposite the valve, and the spark plug being so terminals of the wall of the recess.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter a ear,.the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended clalms, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accom anying-drawings:Figure 1' is a sectional elevation .of an internal-combustion engine constructed in accordance with the invention. tion of a portion of the same, tion on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. sectional view of the valve 0 en to permit the passa e of the exhaust. ig. 4 is a similar View s owing the exhaust closed and the inlet port open.

Similar numerals of reference are employed arranged that the Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 12,

plug are exposed at one' Patented July 14, 1908. 1907. Serial No. 878,587.

to indicate correspondin parts throughout the several figures of the rawings.

The engine is provided with a suitable base I for the support of the crank casing 10 and cylinder 11, and at the ends of the crank casing are arranged bearings'for a main shaft 15 which is connected in the usual manner to the trunk piston 16.

The cylinder is surrounded by a suitable cooling jacket 18, and at the working end is bolted a spider 1 9 that is provided with a centrally arranged opening threaded for the reception of a handled screw 20.

Fitting within the working end of the'cylinder is a movable head 21, the diameter of which is preferably equal to that of the piston, andsaid movable head may be adjusted toward and from the iston in order to vary the space in which t e explosive charge is compressed, and, also, to vary the capacity or cubic content of the cylinder, and the PATENT OFFICE.

quantity of gases which it will admit for a working charge. The movable head is swiveled to the inner end of the screw 20, so that it may be freely moved in the direction of the l length of the cylinder without turning.

I At one side of the movable a recess 22 into which sparking lug 23 of tlon, the p ug being At one side of the head is formed projects the end of a any ordinary construcmovable with the head. cylinder is formed a. boss 24 that is bored out to receive a cylindrical lining 25, that is preferably threaded at one end to screw into female threads formed in I the boss, in order that the lining may be I properly held in place. The inner end of the ining is beveled off to form-a seat for a uppet valve 27 carried by a stem 28 at the outer end of which are adjustable nuts or sleeves 29 to receive the end of acam actuated lever 30. Leading through the lining is an exhaust port 32, and an inlet ort 33, the latter communicatin with a ca ureter or other source of supp y for the explosive char e.

Secured to the stem 28 is a piston va ve 34 that is rovided with openings extending from en to end to permit the free passage of gases. This valve controls both the Inlet the exhaust port carries a cam 43 having three cam surfaces, 44, 45 and 46, the portions 45 and 46 each occupying approximately ninety degrees, l content of the cylinder, the quantity of gas while the portion 44 of the cam extends apl admitted is altered, and the extent to which proximately through an arc of one hundred l the compression is carried is varied, so that and eighty degrees. Bearing against the both the speed and the power of the engine cam is a roller 47 that is carried by the lemay be accurately adjusted. ver 30. It will be seen that by employing the same When the parts are in the position shown assage for both the inlet and the exhaust, in Fig. 1, a charge has been compressed in the heat of the exhaust will raise the temperthe upper portion of the cylinder and is ature of the walls of the passage in the valve about to be ignited by the sparking plug. to such an extent that any liquid which may When this occurs, the piston is moving down remain in the explosive charge will be vapoand during the half revolution of the crank, rized, thus adding to the efficiency of the the cam 43 is moved to the extent of a fourth charge. revolution, so that the portions 45 of the cam We claim will be brought to a position against the roller 1. In an internal combustion engine, a cyl- 47 and this will move the valve stem 28 for inder having a valve controlled port extendthe purpose of opening the pup et valve 27, ing through one wall thereof, a piston in the pose of increasing or decreasing the compres sion, as desired, and by altering the cubic so that during the next half stro e of the piscylinder, and an explosion chamber head adton, while the latter is moving outward from justable to vary the cubic content of the cylthe crank shaft to the initial position, the inder, said head being recessed to clear said gases and products of combustion will be forced out past the valve and through the sleeve and the port 36 to the exhaust. By the time the parts have arrived at this position, the cam surface 46 will have reached the roller 47, and the valve 27 will be moved further into the cylinder, while the valve 34 will have been shifted to a position to close 32 and open the inlet port 33 and the parts are held in this position during the next stroke of the piston in the direction of the crank shaft, this being a suction stroke on which a fresh charge is drawn into the cylinder. The parts remain in this position until the suction stroke is complete, by which time the cam will have made another quarter of a revolution, and the roller will have descended from the section 46 of the cam to the portion 44 thereof, and the aparatus will be moved to the positions shown in Fig. 1 and held in this position during the subsequent compression and working strokes.

In engines of this type it is often extremely difficult to compress the char e by hand cranking, and for this reason t e movable head zl may be adjusted outward from the piston in order to reduce the extent of compression, and thus allow the engine to be started instantly. After the engine has started, the screw may be turned for the purort.

p 2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston therein, there being a port or passage extending through the wall of the cylinder at a point adjacent the end of the explosion chamber, said port controlling both the inlet and exhaust of the charge, and an adjustable explosion chamber head recessed to clear such port or passage.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a port extending through one wall thereof, said port being disposed adjacent the end of the explosion chamber and controlling both the inlet and exhaust of the charge, a valve for closing said port, a piston in the cylinder, an explosion chamber head adjustable to vary the cubic content of the cylinder, said head being recessed to clear -t e port and valve, a' spark plug carried by the head and having sparking terminals in the recess, and means for adjusting said head.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. CROUCH. CHARLES I. CHURCH.

Witnesses:

FRED. H. LYsoNs, FRANK D. JORDAN. 

